The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-19
THE SILVER CRAZE.
Artistic silver Ornaments which Have
Taken the Place of Gold.
special Correspondence.

TAKEN the race 81 toih.
Special Correspondence.
INV YORK, Oct iS--"Silyer has the lead
for street iewelry nov, remarked an uptown
ieweler 10 me the other day III you notice
you will hardly see a gold ornament Of any
kind upon really fashionable woman, ex-
cep' IN evening dress. And while gold is go
ing ont for street wear, silver is taking the
place Of baser metals for many purposes. II
| is nm English fashion, and a sensible one. too,
though. like most good fashions It is now
carried 10 an extreme. Gold j. thought loud,
and the woman who displays much gold Oh
the streets takes place alongside the shoddy
dame who wear, diamond, and n camefs
hair shawl to do her marketing The result
is beneficial TO this country. where 80 large an
amount Of silver is produced, and the manu-
facture of silver jewelry has made
a new industry. Here, for example, is =
hat pin Of silver flagree he added taking
| from the show case delicate rose that
looked like frosted lace work 1T is made Of
fine silver wire 3en years ago all this style
Of silver work was imported from Genoa and
| Venice Today we can make il better and
cheaper in this country. That pin retails for
Sl.JO In gold 10 would cost Slj.
Has not the silver craze made a difference
IN the sale Of gold ornamcntsf asked
| Not 50 much a. one would suppose. Gold
| still holds lis place for evening wear and the
settings Of diamonds and other stones Silver
mas largely driven washed aud rolled gold
ont OF the city market, though q large trade
is ,priuging mp in silver plate More than
half Of these great silver girdles which are So
fashionable are Of silver plate and cost from
81 "a - The same patterns, solid, sell at
from SO to 500; so You seq the
difference. Silver is used for every
possible purpose The dude is poor, indeed,
who does not sport "A silver handled umbrella
or cane. Penknives, razors fans, pocketbooks,
i match. cigar AID cigarette cases, paper
knives, momtings for hand bags, backs Of
| brushes and button hooks are also artisiiCally
made up ina silver Then, too solid silver is
largely taking the place Of brass aud pewter
composition for hook and eyes, safety pins
and even commonp pins When silver scratches
the skin it does not poison as the composition
pins do "ln fact said my friend, growing
enthusiastic and making a mental calculation
the while, Il can fit out young lady with
silver ornaments HAT pins, hair pins,
hrolrh,s. dres, buttons. collar buttons, safety
pins for underwear, necince, girdie, bangles
and finger rings The whole outfit viii weigh
iny pounds and cot about sl.5OO"
But 40 woman v~ud carry fifty pounds
Il ,ilverware on her person, objected
You don't know what woman will do
when il comes 10 matter Of dress will
wager that there are lots of Young girls on
Broadway this afternoon who would be ex
nau.ted if they were obliged % makeup thex
1wm beds. who are carrying around twenty
live pounds Of silver iewery and enjoying it,
OF course, the most expensive patterns Of sill
yer jewelry frequently contain the least sill
YER the cost being in the elaborate workman
shin Solid plates II heavy silver for brace
lets. necklaces and siriles find but little
favor The fancy is more for ornaments Of
silver wire made up into various artistic
forms \ novelty IN silver plating which
has but lately been perfected has already
become very popular. II l. done by electro
plating natural objects with a thin shell OF
silver. Anything can BE- treated IN this way
Knotted cane heads which, We're they carved
by the old process, would cost from 50 70
$50. can be plated over the wool for s. or S.
Here is a hy electroplated and here is a mus
quito OF course 1t Is n perfect reproduction
Ut the insect because the insect itself
is inside This geranium leaf and this bit Of
ACE is made in the same way The process
is to a certain extent secret 1t used to be
impossible 10 make the silver in the battery
attach itself 20 glass, porcelain, wood or
animal matter The discovery consists in a
liquid with which the articles are coated, and
enables Us to plate them with any metal A
gilded youth might be glitterIng actually
by means OF this process To reproduce a
bit Of lace a. perfectly as this, or 10 make
this geranium leaf by the old process, would
have taken the labor OF skilled artist en-
srayer several days Now il can be done,
much more accurately, by the battery in q
few hour. Glass pitchers and jugs can he
covered with delicate tracery OF silver plat
Ing, and the broader parts can be etched in
the most artistic patterns"
what is the effect OF these improvements 4
I asked "Do they not take away the occu-
patton Of a skilled workman
Not at all,' answered my friend quickly.
The skilled workmen find abundant employ
ment on more expensive work, aud it puts
beautiful things within the reach q the mil
ions. educates the public taste, and really
creates demand for more truly beautiful
and artistic things improvements VIII never
hurt the skilled workmeB they know how to
profit by them. II IS the unskilled and care
les, mechanic who suffers Artistically, tn
silver craze has been an excellent thing. 1t
enables people Of moderate means to have
really beautiful things, and it is direct blow
TO the inappropriate display OF gold orns-
ments and expensive and ilashy jewelry OH the
streets ALLAN FORNAN.
How w. Byrd Page Jumps.